Hudsonville sharpshooter is ‘one of the best guards in the state’

Hudsonville’s Jovaan Daniels shoots a 3-pointer against Forest Hills Central on Jan. 28, 2025. He averaged 15.5 points as a junior last season. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Eric Elliott saw something special in a skinny, undersized freshman basketball player three years.

The Hudsonville High School basketball coach said in his 16 years with the Eagles, Jovaan Daniels was just the second freshman that he had on his varsity roster.

“Max Perez also played as a freshman,” Elliott said. “So those two are the only ones.”

Daniels, a 5-foot-11, 155-pound guard, is a senior now. 

He’s an elite shooter, who averaged 15.5 points and 3.6 assists per game for Hudsonville (19-6) last season.

What was the biggest change between sophomore year and junior year?

“The biggest improvement was his aggressiveness,” Elliott said. “His sophomore year, he’d deferred to (senior guard) Brayden Szamrej. Last year, we needed him to create plays and be aggressive. Overall he grasped that. He also did a better job playing through contact.”

Daniels said he has college offers from Calvin University and Hope College.

“A lot of the schools that are talking to me said they want to evaluate me more during the season,” he said. “By the middle of the season, I’ll go on some visits.”

Elliott said he’s heard the same thing from college coaches.

“From a skills standpoint, he’s one of the best guards in the state,” Elliott said. “Some coaches have looked at him physically … but he’s gotten stronger. He’s filing out. He’s a late bloomer. Coaches have been watching and waiting. The want to know can he play at the next level from a physicality standpoint. They are gauging where he’ll land.”

Jovaan Daniels, while playing with Michigan Unified, puts up a shot over Brooks Hadden at the Wes Leonard Showcase at Byron Center High School on May 9, 2025. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

Daniels, who played travel ball with Michigan Unified, said he’s up for the challenge.

“I’m ready to prove myself this season and showcase my skills,” he said. “I need to prove why the coaches should come after me this year. I hope to help lead our team and hopefully to the Breslin.”

Daniels had a career-high 31 points in a 71-65 win over Rockford on Feb. 11, 2025 and was named to The Grand Rapids Press Dream Team last season.

“He averaged about 23 points in the O-K Red,” Elliott said. “No one else close to that in my 16 years. It’s gonna happen for him. He’ll have an incredible year. I think he’ll get a lot of attention out of the gate.”

Daniels said he can’t believe he’s a senior already. Playing four years on varsity is pretty rare, especially at large schools. He also has a shot at reaching 1,000 career points. He has 689 entering the season. 

There’s another undersized, talented freshman who has a shot at making the Hudsonville varsity team in Cortae Towns.

“It went by really fast,” Daniels said. “This will be my fourth year on varsity. There’s a freshman coming in named Cortae. He is really similar to me. It’s good to see another player who was like I was. I’ll be coaching him hard and getting him into the gym.”